Heat send Dexter Pittman to D-League for playing time

CHARLOTTE — In this case, the demotion is a promotion, at least when it comes to playing time.

Unable to find quality minutes for Dexter Pittman, the Miami Heat sent the third-year center on Wednesday to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce.

"We've been talking about it for the last two or three weeks with Dex and his agent," coach Erik Spoelstra said before Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. "Everybody's on the same page about it. The next two or three weeks, we won't have a great deal of practice time, and he's looked very good in practices. So this is an opportunity for him to get some real game time, for an extended period of time."

It is the second time the Heat have sent Pittman to the D-League. He played 22 games for Sioux Falls as a rookie in 2010-11, averaging 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.73 blocks and 1.2 assists in 27.7 minutes while shooting 53.6 percent from the field, as a starter in each game. He was named to the D-League All-Star Game that season, but was unable to participate because of a knee injury.

This season, Pittman has appeared in just four games, totaling six points and seven rebounds in just 12 total minutes at the ends of blowouts.

"Right now, it's still undetermined how long, but it'll be at least two or three weeks," Spoelstra said. "So hopefully he can get a decent run of game time, but also deal with some practices.

"And then . . . when he can come back, then when he gets his opportunities in games, he's in a little bit better rhythm. Right now, even though he's played well in practices and we're all curious to see what he looks like in games, we've been fortunate with our health."

Spoelstra stressed this was not a case of writing off the 2010 second-round pick.

"We want to give him a good look, because we think he can possibly help, even this year," Spoelstra said. "So we're excited about the opportunity, glad we have that affiliation."

Minutes for Pittman became available in Sioux Falls after the Skyforce earlier this week lost former Heat second-round pick Jarvis Varnado to a call-up by the Boston Celtics. The Heat cut Varnado at the end of training camp and no longer held his rights.

Bosh's view

Heat center Chris Bosh said he is playing through discomfort in his right eye, after it was scratched inadvertently by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook during the first half of Tuesday's Heat's Christmas Day victory at AmericanAirlines Arena.

"Good enough," Bosh said of his vision. "Yeah, it's some lingering. It's not my first scratch. Kind of know how to maintain it, I guess."

Bosh met with the Heat's eye doctor following Tuesday's game.

Bosh said goggles were not suggested, "so I was kind of lucky in that regard. I never had to wear goggles, ever."

Female referee

Although Violet Palmer is the only female referee on the NBA's full-time officiating staff, the NBA has added two for partial schedules this season, including Lauren Holtkamp, who worked Wednesday's Heat-Bobcats game at Time Warner Cable Arena.

In 1997, the NBA added Palmer and Dee Kanter as its first full-time female referees, with Kanter now a supervisor in the WNBA.

Along with Holtkamp, Brenda Pantoja also is working a trial NBA schedule, with both having officiated in last season's NBA Development League championship series. Non-staff referees are eligible to work games through the first three months of the season.

Miller time

Vernon Maxwell has company. With a 3-pointer midway through the second period of Tuesday's victory over the Thunder, Heat forward Mike Miller became the second player from the University of Florida to reach 10,000 career NBA points.

Miller became the sixth on the Heat to reach the milestone, joining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Bosh, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

Miller's six points in Tuesday's victory gave him 557 points with the Heat after scoring, in order, 2,737 points with the Orlando Magic, 5,403 points with the Memphis Grizzlies, 722 points with the Minnesota Timberwolves and 586 points with the Washington Wizards.